


safe in her arms

by silvertonguescribbler



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, OOC, gratuitous fluff, i dont fuckin know, no proofreading we die like men :), probably, there is no point to this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:47:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26162116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silvertonguescribbler/pseuds/silvertonguescribbler
Summary: Adora and Catra take a bath together. That's it that's the fic.Alternatively, how many times can I make these nerds say they love each other in one fic?
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 159





	safe in her arms

“You sure you’re ready to do this?” Adora asked, her brows creased in concern. She stood in front of Catra in their luxurious Bright Moon bathroom, their hands laced together. The huge, oval bathtub was full and steaming, the curtains were drawn, and Catra was trying very hard to ignore her heart hammering in her chest. She took a long, slow breath, counting the seconds as she inhaled, counted to seven, and exhaled, like Perfuma had taught her, to calm the anxiety spiking in her chest. 

“Yeah,” Catra said after a long silence. Her voice was breathy and quiet as the air caught in her lungs. Then, she offered a weak smile as she gazed up into Adora’s kind blue eyes. “With you here, I’m ready for anything.”

“Okay.” Adora’s voice was soft, barely above a whisper. She let go of one of Catra’s hands to gently cup the back of her head, pulling her into a sweet kiss. Catra rested her hands awkwardly at Adora’s hips, her palms sweaty, toyed with the hem of Adora’s shirt between her fingers and tried to concentrate on how good it felt to have Adora here, to have Adora touching her and kissing her with such obvious love, rather than what was about to happen. 

She’d never been fond of water, but being drowned and brainwashed by Horde Prime had made her downright terrified of it. She tolerated showers, as infrequently as she could get away with, but the idea of being submerged in any amount of water still made her heart try to hammer its way out of her chest. But Bow and Glimmer were talking about the Best Friend Squad going to Mystacor now that things were a bit more settled, and she really didn’t want that to be turned into everyone worrying and tiptoeing around her instead of having fun, she hated pity, so she’d resolved herself to get used to it. Catra’s brow furrowed as her thoughts began to spiral, and Adora must have noticed, because she broke away from the kiss, pulling back just far enough to look worriedly into Catra’s eyes. 

“Relax, Catra, I’m right here,” Adora said, stroking her cheek. Catra leaned into the affectionate touch and closed her eyes, her frown fading. “We can go as slow as you want. It’s okay.”

Regaining a bit of confidence, Catra smirked, and tugged again at Adora’s shirt. “Maybe I don’t want to go slow in  _ every _ way.”

Adora grinned back, relief in her eyes at the familiar mischief in Catra’s tone. That meant she was okay, at least on a baseline level. She pulled her hand back from Catra’s cheek before crossing her arms over her belly and pulling her shirt up over her head. Catra allowed herself only a moment to admire Adora’s physique, the way her soft, pale skin pulled taut over sinewy muscle, before wriggling out of her own shirt. She reached out, almost without meaning to, and touched Adora’s side, trailing her open palm up over her ribs to brush lightly over the edge of her sports bra. Catra never wore bras, not since they’d gotten back to Bright Moon and she realized there were no regulations on how she dressed anymore. 

“Forgetting something?” Catra asked, arching one eyebrow.

“I don’t know, am I?” Adora couldn’t help but tease, just a little, but she reached behind herself to unclasp the bra and shrug it off anyways. Catra really stared then. She couldn't help it.

“You’re gorgeous, Adora,” she said breathlessly.

“So are you.” The smile was audible in Adora’s voice. She reached out to run her hand through the fur on Catra’s side, fingers trailing all the way up from where her hip bone jutted out just above her belt to rest on her ribcage. Her thumb barely grazed Catra’s chest and she felt herself shiver.

Then, Adora bent to shove her pants down around her ankles, pausing to press a few slow kisses to the outside of Catra’s thigh before standing back up and kicking them the rest of the way off. She stood with her hands on her hips, the same smug, competitive grin on her face that she used to get when she’d just beaten Catra in a fight when they’d spar in the Fright Zone. “Aren’t  _ you _ forgetting something, Catra?”

The way Adora said her name always sent a shiver down Catra’s spine. No matter how many times she heard it, no matter the context or the intonation or what was going on around them, it made her breath catch in her throat and her heart skip a beat. She suspected it would never really get old. Adora said her name like it was something precious, held it on her tongue and gave it to her like a gift, loaded with love and over two decades of history together, like it meant the world to her. Like  _ Catra _ meant the world to her.

“Hm, I guess I am,” Catra replied. “I could use some help though.”

“As you wish.” Adora brought both of her hands to Catra’s face and kissed her, hard, like this kiss was the only thing in the entire world that mattered to her, but quickly pulled away again, leaving Catra’s lips almost tingling in her wake. With a cheeky smile, Adora bent down to kneel in front of Catra again, her fingers hooked into her belt loops. She looked up, almost reverently, holding Catra’s gaze as she undressed her. Catra placed a hand on Adora’s head for stability as she kicked her feet out of her tight leggings, then pulled her back up and into a tight hug. 

“I love you,” Catra said, her mouth pressed against Adora’s shoulder. She stared at the full bathtub behind Adora, its surface mirror still and silvery in the blue and purple bathroom. If Adora had been wearing a shirt, she would have clenched her fists in it, but since she wasn’t, Catra held her hands away from Adora’s body, opening and shutting them rhythmically and feeling her nails dig into her own palms. It hurt, but she’d rather hurt herself than Adora. 

“Hey, hey.” Adora must have felt her movement. She turned them around, facing Catra away from the water, and pressed their foreheads together. “I love you too, Catra. Let’s just think about us right now. We can worry about that later.”

“Okay,” Catra conceded. She took another deep breath and focused only on Adora. Sweet, beautiful Adora,  _ her  _ Adora. “I’m okay.”

“I’m going to kiss you now, is that okay?”

Catra barely nodded before Adora had pressed their lips together again, soft and tender. Catra responded by biting Adora’s lower lip, letting her teeth catch on the soft flesh slightly, just to remind Adora who she was dealing with. Adora smiled at that, huffing an almost-laugh into Catra’s lips before biting back, and coaxing her mouth open with her tongue. Her hands wandered over Catra’s body, caressing her arms, her stomach, her breasts, scratching lightly at the spot above her tail that she knew Catra liked, before settling on her butt and giving it an affectionate squeeze.

Now it was Catra’s turn to giggle. Her tail twitched, swatting at Adora’s hands but without any real intent behind it. 

“What’s so funny?” Adora pulled away from kissing Catra to pout at her.

“Nothing, I just... like this. I like you.”

“You  _ like _ me?” Adora gasped in mock surprise. “Gosh, I had no idea! How embarrassing for you.”

“Yeah, I know.” Catra rolled her eyes, lacing her fingers through Adora’s hair to tug it out of its ponytail. “I’ve got terrible taste.” 

Adora just kissed her again, one hand on the small of her back and the other gently cupping the back of her head, holding her close. 

“You know I was joking, right?” Catra mumbled against Adora's lips.

“Of course I do!” Adora was quick to reassure her. 

“Okay, good. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Adora shifted, taking a tiny step towards the bathtub, and Catra moved with her, letting herself be led, backwards, across the room. Adora turned, placing herself protectively between Catra and the bath, perched on the edge of it and pulled Catra between her legs and into a tight hug.The water was still steaming, Catra could feel its humid heat on her hands where they clung to Adora’s back, see the way the light filtering through the curtains danced on its surface. Her own reflection, pale against the dark wood of the tub, fluttered on its surface, looking as fragile as she felt.

Adora leaned back, taking one hand off Catra to swirl in the water, fracturing the reflection. She used her other hand to tilt Catra’s head back up from where it had rested on her shoulder, pressing their foreheads together. 

“Are you okay?” Her voice was gentle, tentative, and Catra bristled a bit at the cautiousness of the question. She’d spent her whole life hating any kind of sympathy, lashing out at anyone who dared to presume she depended on them. But at the same time, she felt safe with Adora. She lashed her tail anxiously, unsure how to respond. Adora stroked up and down Catra’s back, her fingers tracing comforting lines through the thick fur along her spine. 

“I think so,” Catra said, after a long pause.

“Are you sure?” 

Catra thought for a moment. Memories of drowning on Prime’s ship boiled in her gut, the echoing voices of clones chanting around her, the way the green liquid seemed to burn her skin and freeze her muscles all at once, the thick, choking feeling of it filling her lungs - no. Catra squeezed her eyes tightly shut, pressed her forehead against Adora’s, forced herself back into the present. That was over. Prime was gone. This bath was full of normal, warm water, Adora was right there, holding her close, not going to let anything bad happen. Her heart rate slowed as she concentrated on the feeling of Adora’s body against her own. Adora’s thighs wrapped around her hips, Adora’s hands, now tightly holding her own. Adora’s breath, soft and familiar against her lips. Catra took a deep breath, exhaled shakily, and then nodded. 

“Yeah. I’m okay.” Catra tilted her face up to press their lips together, not moving, just feeling Adora against her. She looked resolutely into her eyes, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “Let’s get in.”

“If you’re ready,” Adora said. She stood, pushing herself up off the edge of the tub before stepping in. She held Catra’s hands as she followed suit, slowly dipping one foot into the water and then the other. 

The bath was warm, not acidically hot like Prime’s cleansing pool. And only about knee deep. It lapped at her legs, almost tickling her with the way its movement pulled her fur this way and that, unfamiliar but not uncomfortable. She’d shut her eyes tightly as she stepped in, bracing herself for panic, and she slowly opened them now that she was in. Adora stood before her, neck bent so they were eye to eye. Catra looked down at their legs, the way the light through the water bent them into odd shapes. It was kind of pretty.

“I’m okay,” she breathed, mostly to reassure Adora but also to remind herself. “I’m okay.”

“You’re okay!” Adora pulled her into another tight hug, letting Catra bury her face in her neck. “You did the hardest part. How do you feel?”

“I’m not sure,” Catra replied. “I’m alright though. I don’t feel afraid, but I think that’s just because you’re here.”

“Well, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good.” Catra abruptly sat down, forcing her body to move before her brain realized what was going on. She wrapped her arms around her knees, letting the water wash over her chest as it splashed from her sudden movement. After only a moment of surprise Adora sat down too, leaning against the wall of the tub and stretching her legs out on either side of Catra. 

“C’mere,” Adora said, patting her chest in invitation. Catra moved obediently, turning to rest her cheek on Adora’s chest. Her skin was damp, either from perspiration or the humidity of the room, and the smell of her was thick in the air. It invaded Catra’s senses, washing over her in comforting waves as she let her head rise and fall with Adora’s breathing. Her ear flicked at the tickly sensation of Adora’s breathing on it, and Adora tensed under her, a hand immediately reaching to grab Catra’s

“I’m okay, you dork,” Catra said, laughing a little. “I can just feel you breathing on my ear and it tickles. It’s cute how much you care about me though.”

“I care about you more than anything!” Adora said earnestly. She cupped her hand over Catra’s ear, crushing it against her head and scratching the thick fur below it. 

“Pff, that’s pretty gay.” Catra jabbed her in the ribs.

“You got me there.” Fondness soaked through Adora’s voice even during their silly banter. Adora’s hand resting on Catra’s head thumbed absently through her fur, anchoring her in the present with its soothing rhythm. Adora’s heartbeat thudded in Catra’s skull, more feeling than sound, heavy and consistent. Catra dragged her tail back and forth through the water, actually almost enjoying the pull of the water surrounding it. It was harder to move than in air but she didn’t feel trapped, she knew she had Adora’s strong arms around her, ready to lift her out the second she felt uncomfortable. The water didn’t feel like it was pulling her down, but rather supporting her. Her limbs felt light and the rough wood of the tub stayed promisingly steady beneath her. The room was silent besides the soft sounds of the water lapping at their bodies.

“I love you,” Catra repeated, breaking the quiet, relishing the fact that she could admit it so freely. 

“Yeah? I love you too.” Adora traced a wet finger along Catra’s jawline, coming to rest on her chin. Catra tilted her head up, matching her movement to look into Adora’s eyes. 

The look she received back was filled with emotion, saying a million things that words could not. Catra sighed contentedly, tucking her head back under Adora’s chin. She felt safe and warm and, for the first time in her life, completely at ease in the water.

**Author's Note:**

> whomp this has been sitting in my drafts half finished for like 2 months oops. Ik it's probably ooc but honestly I don't care I just want Catra to face her trauma and heal and be okay. Anyways idk enjoy and comment if you like it bc I live for attention :)


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